Simon Wincer, who directed Hunter in recent film The Cup, told The ABC: "He was associated really with the renaissance of the Australian film industry from the '70s right up until the last few months."

His friend and fellow actor David Field added: "[Bill had] extraordinary instinct and intelligence [and was] a very profound human being. The everyman on the street was the man he loved - from hobo upwards he didn't mind. He always had time for everyone, for all his kind of roaring bluff, he was a very sensitive and very gentle man."